Annotation:Lord Dreghorn's Quickstep

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LORD DREGHORN'S QUICKSTEP. Scottish (originally), Canadian; Quickstep (6/8 time). Canada, Cape Breton. D Major. Standard tuning. AAB (MacDonald): AABB' (Cranford/Fitzgerald). An 18th century composition by Biography:Robert Mackintosh ('Red Rob') (b. 1745). It is one of Mackintosh's more popular pieces among Cape Breton fiddlers.

Lord Dreghorn was John MacLaurin (1734-1796) born in Edinburgh. In 1756 he was admitted to the bar at Edinburgh. After a successful career as a lawyer, he was raised in 1788 to the bench (senator of the College of Justice), when he took the title of Lord Dreghorn. MacLaurin was a literary man with a turn for satrical verse, and was author of The Philosopher's Opera which was written during his life time at Dreghorn Castle, Edinburghshire. His works were published in two volumes in 1798, although they have made scant lasting impression. While he had a liking for poetry, he was not recognized as having had much of a gift and his poems were largely published on his own printing press for circulation among his friends.

Dreghorn Castle, Edinburghshire

Source for notated version: Winston Fitzgerald (1914-1987, Cape Breton) [Cranford].

Printed sources: Cranford (Winston Fitzgerald), 1997; No. 189, p. 74. MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; p. 174.

Recorded sources:

See also listing at:
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recordings Index [1]

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